Philosophy

Private, semi-private, small groups a non-competitive swim team and parent-tot lessons are taught with patience, encouragement and expertise. Seahorse Swim School’s goal is to encourage water safety, water confidence and overall fitness in Santa Cruz County. We work with beginning swimmers who have never been in a pool as well as more advanced swimmers who would like to refine their existing strokes. We can help the intermediate and advanced swimmer of all ages improve their swimming technique, which will in turn, allow them to move more effectively and efficiently in the water.

Together, before our first lesson, we can discuss what skills the student is comfortable with already and any goals that the student may want to reach. American Red Cross Learn to Swim levels Parent-Tot & 1-6 are used as a basis for our lesson plans. Private and semi-private lesson plans can be tailored to meet the individual students needs at any time. Group and custom classes will challenge each swimmer to their level while providing individual attention within the group environment. Our swim team will help the individual build endurance while perfecting existing strokes in a non-competitive environment. Swimming is an exercise that can be done for the majority of ones’ life. We aim to bring it back to the basics for our team: we want each individual swimmer to feel confident in their abilities, enabling them to feel good about themselves on a daily basis.

Seahorse Swim School works with a vast age range of swimmers (ages 3 months to 80+) as well as those with special needs. For the adults who never learned to swim as children; the fear of water that has built up over the years can be a very intimidating and frightening experience. We work very patiently with all swimmers no matter the age or ability.

Having continuity in your swim instructor builds a foundation of trust. As trust is developed, many students will open themselves up to new and different experiences. It’s our goal to earn your trust so we can help you or your child reach their swimming goals. In our group lessons, we try to assign the same instructor to your child as they move through our levels. If you would like to work with a certain instructor, just let us know: we will do what we can to make it happen.

During swim lessons, we use many toys and tools. We utilize a “kick-stick” quite often in our lessons.

This is a water exercise bar that is held in the hands of the swimmer while practicing their strokes. It allows the swimmer to hold onto something other than the instructor which increases the student’s sense of independence in the water. When used correctly, the “kickstick” can assist in developing a fantastic stroke while encouraging the swimmer to be more independent in the water. This incredibly effective teaching tool helps the swimmer coordinate the timing of the freestyle stroke with side breathing. The kickstick encourages a long reaching more efficient freestyle arm stroke, getting the arms out of the “doggy paddling” stage while adding support to the individual while they get comfortable turning their head to breathe to the side. This teaching tool is used for most all of our swimmers, beginners to the advanced.

Seahorse Swim School offers low student/teacher ratio group lessons as well as private and semi-private swim instruction. With concentrated attention given to the individual swimmer, the difference in the amount of time it takes to develop confidence in the water and be able to open up to learning new swimming skills is apparent. With personal attention and a consistent instructor, we have noted that the swimmer is more likely to attempt new skills because they feel more safe and secure in their learning environment. For children with special needs, be it a behavioral or developmental need, private instruction is the way to go. Lessons are tailored to meet each students’ individual needs. In group lessons, the swimmer to teacher ratio has been kept low to maximize attention to each individual participant. In either case, Seahorse Swim School, Inc. emphasizes water safety and a positive learning environment to create a safe place for each individual swimmer to learn new life-saving skills.

Swimming is a basic life skill that can be used to begin or maintain an active lifestyle. Water exposure at an early age, whether it be with family or in a structured environment creates a strong foundation for us to build upon in our swimming lessons. As we develop your new swimming skills and perfect your existing techniques, we believe that consistency is key. Seahorse Swim School encourages our students to practice what they learn in their lessons as “homework” and continue to stay wet throughout the year. We encourage our Seahorse Swimmers to be skilled, confident and safe in our beach community. We love to hear your stories about your family outings & we encourage you to visit pools and beaches with your families utilizing your new water safety skills.